


Saving the Savior

by giftofamber



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-31
Updated: 2014-07-03
Packaged: 2017-12-07 01:01:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/742270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giftofamber/pseuds/giftofamber
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt by pamrenea: Regina keeps her promise to Henry. Emma and Snow are returned to SB. But Emma has been gravely wounded. Regina realizes her feelings as tends to Emma much to Charmings' dismay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

[Click here to download Ch. 1 of Saving the Savior on audio](http://www.mediafire.com/download/umqoq6c1ja727s8/ch1savingsavior.mp3)

[Click here to download Ch. 2 of Saving the Savior on audio](http://www.mediafire.com/download/9w132ot3twzbo4v/chapter2savingsavior.mp3)

* * *

Regina was absolutely positive the sheer joy she felt at Emma and Mary Margaret coming back through the portal-a rabbit hole of all things-was completely related to making Henry happy and showing him that she could change. There was no way she was happy to see them for any other reason. Regina glanced down at the shirt she was wearing, realizing it was the one that Emma had borrowed without permission a while back, and turned a little pale. Maybe her subconscious was trying to tell her something, but it couldn't be. The idea was just too preposterous. Her train of thought was interrupted at the sound of Henry's scream; that was when she noticed that Emma was covered in blood.

"Emma!" Henry cried, his screams giving way to coherent thought. "Mom, you have to get Dr. Whale. Go, now. Mom, we have to help Emma. I learned first aid at school. Go!"

Regina picked up the phone to call for an ambulance, wishing that the only doctor in all of Storybrooke didn't hate her guts. Surely, he would put his personal feelings for her aside and help Emma; there was some oath doctors took, right? To help everyone, no matter how undeserving? She spoke into the phone, "Hi, yes, I need an ambulance. Emma, oh god, there is so much blood. Yes, I think she's breathing. Yes, my son is trying to stop the bleeding. No, I don't know what happened. Just get here!"

"Emma, you're going to be ok. You're the Savior. Good always wins," Henry insisted, sounding surer of himself than he felt as he applied the pressure to Emma's wounds.

Regina had hung up the phone and found herself clutching Emma's right hand on instinct. She tried to look only at Emma's face, "Emma, what happened?"

"Ogres," Emma responded weakly. The ogres had attacked while she had been too busy trying to fend off Regina's mother to realize all the noise they had been making. Cora seemed to hate her and Mary Margaret…Snow…even more than Regina did, which Emma had never thought possible.

Unwilling to admit how terrified she was at Emma's condition, Regina bristled at the sheriff's answer, "After all that I went through to bring you back through the portal? Ms. Swan, part of being a mother means not putting yourself in mortal danger at the drop of a hat, do you hear me?"

"Mary…Margaret," Emma tried to pick her head up to see what had become of her friend and 'mother'. She needed to know if Snow had made it through the portal with her.

Regina finally remembered that Emma was not the only one who had come through the portal. She looked around to discover Mary Margaret unconscious on the floor with what appeared to be only minor wounds. Her joy at seeing her former nemesis injured was short-lived as she realized that if anything happened to either Emma or Mary Margaret, Henry would never forgive her. She looked back at Emma, "Don't you dare try to get up. Mary Margaret will be fine. You were trying to protect her, weren't you?"

"Cora," Emma managed to say as she lost consciousness from blood loss. She let the darkness overwhelm her, exhausted from the pain, knowing that her loved ones were safe.

Regina began to tremble, her voice growing more anxious by the second, "Emma, Emma, wake up! You have to wake up."

"Mom, who is Cora?" Henry asked as the ambulance arrived, and the EMTs pushed him out of the way to put Emma and Mary Margaret on stretchers.

"My mother," Regina answered. How did Emma know about her mother? Did Mary Margaret tell her or…had Cora managed to find her way out of Wonderland into the Enchanted Forest? With her mother's knowledge of magic, she surmised it was only a matter of time before she arrived in Storybrooke. She would have to prepare, but first, she needed Emma alive and ready to help her.

"Mom, they want to know if we want to ride in the ambulance," Henry said. He could tell Regina was distracted. She had never told him anything about her mother, and Henry had always assumed that the Evil Queen didn't have one.

Regina looked at him, still dazed, "No, we'll follow in my car. C'mon, let's get going."

Mary Margaret was sent home from the hospital with David relatively quickly, having only sustained minor injuries. She had wanted to stay for Emma's sake, but David convinced her it wouldn't help her own recovery if she was constantly worrying about her daughter and that Regina (or more likely Henry) would let them know of any changes to Emma's condition.

In contrast, Regina had spent days at Emma's hospital bedside-for Henry's sake (at least that's what she kept telling herself). Henry had refused to leave Emma while she was in the hospital, and Regina wasn't leaving Henry alone if there was the slightest chance her mother would find a way to follow Emma and Snow to Storybrooke. Even though her magic wasn't working the way it normally did, she knew that Henry stood a better chance with her there to protect him than he did on his own. Not that Cora knew about Henry, but she couldn't take any chances with Snow's inability to keep secrets.

While Emma recovered, Regina and Henry took turns telling Emma tales of what she had missed while she was off cavorting with ogres. Henry spoke excitedly of learning to ride horses and the time he had spent with David. Regina was much less forthcoming and had to be urged on by her…their son repeatedly. She admitted that she had started therapy with 'that blasted cricket' at Henry's urging. What she didn't tell Emma was that the tipping point was looking into Henry's eyes and realizing she was beginning to turn into her mother, something she'd fought against all her life. She told Emma that she was no longer working as mayor of the town and that David had picked up the job of Sheriff while she was gone.

Every so often, Henry would ask about Cora, but Regina remained tight-lipped about her mother, saying that they would all talk about it when Emma was awake and stable. In fact, Regina had just about run out of excuses by the time Dr. Whale said that Emma was safe to be released from the hospital.

"Here are Ms. Swan's release papers. All you need to do is sign here, and I'll go over her aftercare needs with you before you take her home," Dr. Whale held up a stack of papers and a pen.

Henry looked up, "Wait, mom, you're taking Emma home?"

Regina was startled, "Henry, I'm afraid I'm just as confused as you are. I thought her parents would have to sign her out."

"Funny story that. Legally speaking, Ms. Swan has no parents as she grew up a ward of the state. Ms. Blanchard and Mr. Nolan never filed any paperwork with the state of Maine to change that. Our hospital policy states that since you called it in and Ms. Swan has no other family according to the state of Maine that is of legal age, you are technically her emergency contact," Dr. Whale explained with an air of condescension.

"Oh," Regina said in wonder. She wasn't quite sure what to make of this news.

"Emma's coming home with me to Mary Margaret and David's apartment," Henry explained to Dr. Whale with all the authority he could muster having lived with Regina for nearly eleven years.

"Henry, we discussed you coming home with me, now that Emma and Mary Margaret are back," Regina said softly. She knew it had to be his choice to come home with her, but she wasn't sure she could handle another rejection.

Henry contemplated his answer carefully, "I guess you did keep up your end of the deal. But I can't leave Emma like this. She needs me."

"Then, it's settled, you and Emma will both come home with me," Regina asserted. If bringing Emma into her home was what it took to get Henry back, she was willing to meet him halfway.

"Woah, don't I get a say in this?" Emma said weakly.

Regina responded by glaring back at her, "Not when Henry's safety is on the line."

"Relax, I'm kidding. I would love to stay with you and Henry," Emma forced a smile. "My parents have their own issues to work out."

Henry stared at Emma, "Are you sure?"

"Kid, I saw what's out there, and your mom is right. She and I have the best chance of keeping you safe if we work together," Emma answered. "So about those papers?"

"Yes, of course," Regina stammered. She signed on the dotted line and tried to digest the massive list of instructions regarding Emma's outpatient treatment, grateful when Dr. Whale handed her a written copy that she could peruse later when she could better concentrate.


	2. Chapter 2

Emma was really going to be staying at the mansion with her and Henry. Regina was still trying to wrap her brain around the normally ridiculous concept. She was also trying to understand why she felt nervous and giddy for the first time since the curse broke. Was it purely because Henry was finally going to be back where he belonged, even temporarily, or was there something more? The mere idea was preposterous….right? There was so much she needed to think about—where Emma was going to sleep, what she was going to make for their first dinner together, where the baby monitor was, how she was going to make sure her family stayed safe….did she just include Emma in the word 'family'? Of course not, she was just imagining things from the lack of sleep she'd been getting lately.

* * *

Emma had lasted precisely 24 hours in the mansion before deciding she was tired of being a patient. She wanted to get up and do things for herself, regardless of whether her body was ready to cooperate, and she was driving Regina positively batty with her demands and need for independence.

"Regina, stop treating me like an invalid!" Emma bellowed, desperately trying to force her legs to hold her weight and failing miserably. She was far too proud to admit it, but she was thankful that Regina was there physically supporting her because the last thing she wanted would be for Henry to be the one to find her lying on the floor helpless. She needed to be strong for both of them if they were going to survive the upcoming battle.

Regina, having had enough of Emma's self-pitying, let the blonde fall back hard onto the bed. She felt instantly remorseful hearing Emma's cry of pain, but she wasn't about to let that stop her from getting her point across. She was thankful the baby monitor had alerted her to Emma's foolishness before too much damage was caused. She berated, "Ms. Swan, we've been over this a thousand times. You're supposed to be staying in bed and letting me take care of you. If you try to rush your recovery, you will be completely useless to me, even more than you usually are, when my mother arrives."

Emma pouted, but allowed Regina to put her back under the covers, "I'm not useless."

"You have no idea what my mother is capable of, what she has done. When she finds out about Henry, it's going to take far more than a little bravado to keep him safe," Regina warned.

"Um, Regina, she kinda knows about Henry already," Emma braced herself for Regina's wrath. In hindsight, telling Cora she shared Henry with Regina hadn't exactly been one of her brightest moments, but in her defense, Cora had seemed nice, and Regina had never talked about her mother, so she really had no way of knowing until it was too late.

Regina's eyes narrowed, "What?"

"She heard me talking to Mary Margaret and asked who Henry was. She's your mother. I thought she had a right to know," Emma finished lamely. "That was before she impersonated Lancelot and tried to kill us."

"It's moments like these I remember who your parents are. Did you not think there was a reason I never told her about my son?" Regina began wringing her hands.

"She's your mother; she loves you, right? She'd never hurt someone you care about," Emma reasoned.

"I thought you of all people would realize that life isn't all roses, sunshine and rainbows," Regina took a deep breath. She sat next to Emma on the bed, looking down at the floor, unable to say what she was about to say and look in Emma's eyes at the same time. She continued, her voice breaking, "My mother loved me so much she tore the heart out of my fiancé, killing him right before my eyes because she thought love was weakness and she didn't want her daughter to be weak."

Emma paled. She'd had some horrible experiences with some of her foster families, but she'd always rationalized that it was because they weren't her real parents. They hadn't given birth to her or adopted her; she was merely a monthly check to them. She cringed at the thought of someone's actual parents behaving like that. Her memory flashed back to the last encounter she had had with Cora, and she realized the full impact of what Cora had tried to do, "So that's what she was trying to do."

Regina gave her a questioning glance, "What do you mean?"

"She put her hand to my chest, and I could feel a pulling sensation, but something inside me stopped her. I think it was my magic. She tried to take my heart, and she couldn't," Emma explained, a smile finally crossing her face.

For some inexplicable reason, color drained from Regina's normally olive skin. Why did the thought of Emma's death bother her so much? Sure, Henry would be upset, but her reaction was visceral. She was sure her own heart was being pulled from her chest and being stomped on. Suddenly, the realization dawned on her, and she was even more terrified. She had feelings for the Savior, more than just as Henry's birth mother, and that gave her an additional weak spot. She repeated the obvious, "She tried to take your heart."

"But she couldn't! I stopped her. I can protect you and Henry," Emma grinned, a little bit of her spunk returning.

"Just try to curb your Princess Charming tendencies for a while. Let me protect you for a change," Regina held Emma's hand for a moment before shutting off the light, checking on a sleeping Henry, and returning to her own room. She had a lot of thinking to do, but it could wait until the morning when she was a little less emotional. For now, she just wanted to revel in the fact that after all she had been through, she had someone who wanted to be her very own Princess Charming.


	3. Chapter 3

"Breakfast in bed?" Emma wasn't sure whether to smile or be upset. She had to admit that the sight of Regina Mills serving her in an apron was a delicious one, but it was also a reminder of how much of an invalid she was at the moment.

Regina cleverly avoided the question, "Henry wanted to say goodbye before he left for school, but I wouldn't let him wake you up. I told him you'll spend lots of time with him later, helping him with his homework."

"I'm not exactly a helping with homework kinda girl. I barely survived doing my own," Emma commented, a look of apprehension crossing her face.

"There's a surprise," Regina grinned while laying the tray across Emma's lap. "The daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming struggling through school? Never would've guessed."

"Hey, now, there's no need for that," Emma was calmed from the friendly banter and began to eat. She hadn't realized how much she had missed real food. "At least I earned my GED on my own merits and not from a curse, which is more than anyone else in this town can say."

"Which is precisely why you're the perfect person to instill in my…our son the need for a solid education," Regina concluded her argument with a twinkle in her eye. Her reasoning was about more than just Henry focusing on his studies; she knew that her son wouldn't tolerate Emma feeling sorry for herself any more than she did.

"But Regina…"

Regina offered, "I may even be persuaded to make you my famous apple cobbler."

"Apple cobbler?"

"Emma Swan, if I wanted to poison you, you'd be dead already, and I certainly wouldn't do anything in front of Henry," Regina pouted. Why did no one believe she was trying to be a better person?

"Relax, I know that. For what it's worth, if I were in your shoes, I probably would have done the same thing," Emma supplied a peace offering.

"Really?"

"Well, I do have a bit of a temper, in case you didn't notice. The day Henry found me I'd just slammed some jerk's head off a steering wheel—with good reason of course," Emma continued.

Thinking of all their physical tussles, Regina responded, "I noticed. You are quite impulsive."

Looking down at the nearly empty plate in front of her, Emma changed the subject, "Regina, can I ask…why are you helping me?"

A blush rose to Regina's cheeks. She honestly wasn't sure she knew the reason herself. In front of her was the woman who had broken her curse, the curse for which she had given up everything and struggled so hard to protect, and yet, she couldn't bring herself to hate Emma in the same way she hated Snow White. After 28 years in Storybrooke, she'd found herself bored with the monotony, and Emma just made life interesting again. When Emma helped her, it wasn't because her curse forced the blonde, it was because she wanted to do it. What Emma did was real. Still, she wasn't about to give Emma that much of an edge over her, so her response was only a half-truth, "Because it's what Henry would want."

"Is that the only reason?" Emma pressed.

Regina picked up Emma's empty tray, her manner now completely businesslike and professional, "What other reason could there be? Ms. Swan, I left a book on your nightstand in case you get bored while I'm getting some housework done. If you need something else, just speak up, and I'll hear you on the monitor. Oh, and don't even think about getting up by yourself—Henry wouldn't like it."

"Aye, aye, your majesty," Emma's penchant for sarcasm got the better of her. She followed with a more serious tone, "And thank you."

"Don't mention it," Regina said as she turned and left the room, subconsciously sashaying her hips on the way. For the first time since she'd resigned her position as mayor, she felt like she had a purpose.

As she watched the brunette leave the room, Emma sighed in both arousal and frustration. The knee length skirt Regina wore accentuated her form, and the apparent lack of stockings on olive skin only added to the ideas materializing in Emma's brain. Not that she had any hope of her feelings being reciprocated, nor did she understand why she had feelings for such a complicated woman who had done so much to her family. Still, the heart wanted what the heart wanted. Frustrated at the continuous formality between them, Emma muttered out loud to the ceiling, almost expecting it to respond, "My name is Emma."

A smile formed across Regina's face, as she heard Emma's voice over the monitor. Just knowing the other woman was upstairs gave her stomach butterflies. Putting the dishes in the dishwasher, Regina Mills, the former mayor of Storybrooke, Evil Queen extraordinaire, started to whistle a tune. Birds cautiously flocked to her kitchen window, curious at the change, yet unsure whether they would be welcomed. When they weren't shooed away, they added their voices to hers in song.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Storybrooke harbor, an unmarked ship docked. The crew appeared to be a band of miscreant pirates, but they lacked a discernible leader—at least none that the local dockhands recognized. Had they paid closer attention, the local dockhands would have noticed the crew showing deference to a woman in a hooded cloak—but then, a woman leading a band of pirates was so preposterous that they probably didn't give it a second thought. Hence, the cloaked woman disembarked from the ship with relatively little fanfare.

When she could no longer see the docks behind her, she finally pulled down her hood. Cora Mills surveyed the view before her. The town looked small, like it catered to peasants rather than to royalty. Various oddities such as how close the buildings were together and the apparent lack of outhouses did nothing to faze her. She'd expected that the curse would have involved some changes to the landscape, although she was a bit disappointed that there was no castle where she could easily find her daughter. She muttered to herself, "So this is the town my daughter gave up everything to create."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Warning: this chapter contains minor het (Rumple/Cora). No kissing or anything, but it references a prior relationship. I hope you bear with me because it is kind of relevant to the plot. Also, thank you for your reviews and your patience with updates.

Not quite sure where to start, Cora sensed the pull of familiar magic drawing her toward a shop that appeared to be full of ancient relics. It wasn't her daughter's magic, but it was magic that she recognized. If she had still had her heart, she would have felt a touch of joy knowing she was about to see the only man who had ever matched her yearning for power. She was one of the few who had seen through his lizard skin and cowardice to the charm and lust beneath. As she entered the pawn shop, she heard a strange musical sound, a ringing…almost like a cowbell, but higher pitched. She guessed that it was meant to announce the arrival of visitors. Rumplestiltskin had always hated surprises.

"Welcome, dearie. See something you like?" Rumplestiltskin quipped. Decades had passed since he had last laid eyes on the woman before him as she had been banished to Wonderland—with his help—by her own daughter. Much to his chagrin, her beauty had not faded with age.

"I always do. My dear Rumple, the years have been good to you," Cora let her eyes wander suggestively. She wasn't above using her wiles to get what she wanted, and whether she liked it or not, she was going to need the Dark One's help to carry out her plan.

Rumplestiltskin had been around far too long to be easily manipulated, even by a former paramour such as the Queen of Hearts. He knew that she never gave a compliment without expecting something in return, so he cut to the chase, "What do you want, Cora?"

"Well, I should think that obvious. I want my daughter. She and I have some unfinished business," Cora looked the pawn broker directly in the eyes. "I hear she has given me a grandson."

The pawn broker responded with a glint in his eye, "Dearie, you know that's impossible. Regina is incapable of having children. I never break my deals."

"Ever the wordsmith. You may not break your deals directly, but you thrive on loopholes. Tell me about this boy she shares with a most irritating blonde woman," Cora insisted, her tone commanding obeisance. Truth be told, she wasn't displeased that a loophole had been discovered. King Leopold had been the one to insist on it being part of the marriage contract so that his precious Snow wouldn't have any competition for the throne. Cora had merely been the one to implement it, by making the deal with the Dark One.

Rumplestiltskin said smoothly, "I take it you've met the Savior then. That irritating blonde woman is the one who broke your daughter's curse, allowing the portal to open between the worlds."

"I'll be sure to thank her next time I see her," Cora grew impatient. "Tell me about the boy."

Rumplestiltskin sighed to himself. What could it hurt? She'd find out sooner or later, and honestly, he had no stake in this whatsoever. Well, except that he might get her out of his hair faster. He answered truthfully, "The boy's name is Henry. The Savior gave him to your daughter to raise, but it seems that she's since decided to take him back."

"Regina just went along with that? That doesn't sound like my daughter," Cora snorted. "She is far too stubborn and possessive to just give up."

"And that, dearie, is where it gets complicated. Those two seem to enjoy a good brawl now and again, all quite uncivilized if you ask me," Rumplestiltskin sniffed, straightening his purple tie.

"A Queen is always civilized; it's her subjects who need to learn proper respect and decorum," Cora drew her nose up at the insinuation that she had raised her daughter to be no better than an unruly peasant.

Rumplestiltskin laughed, "Dearie, you haven't heard then. Regina gave up that title as part of the curse. By her own choosing, she is a mere Mayor now; in terms of the Enchanted Forest, a Mayor is the equivalent of a lord of a fiefdom. She does not share the same lust for power as you and I."

"It would seem she hasn't fared as well as I'd hoped without her dear mother," Cora responded thoughtfully. "Where can I find her?"

With the smile fading from his lips, he answered, "Big white mansion in the center of town. You can't miss it. I daresay she won't be as happy to receive you as I have been, seeing as how she thinks you dead."

* * *

Emma had counted every crack in the ceiling twice, trying to keep herself awake for Regina's inevitable return. She'd tried to think of a plan on her own to deal with the possibility that Cora had found a portal to their world, but well, thinking ahead wasn't her strong suit; she tended to succeed more often making purely impulsive decisions. Speaking of impulsive decisions, agreeing to move into the mayoral mansion while she was recovering hadn't turned out nearly as badly as she had feared. For one, she got to sleep in a comfortable bed, eat real home-cooked meals, see her son without needing to sneak around, and flirt with the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, who also happened to be the mother of her son—and ironically, the Evil Queen who had cursed an entire town on a whim. What would her life have been like if she had been able to grow up living with her parents in a freaking castle? She wouldn't have been a juvenile delinquent, involved with a man two times her age just because he was the first person to genuinely appear to care about her, or a pregnant teenager who felt she had to give her child up for adoption so that he could have had a better life.

She would have been a princess, loved and spoiled by doting parents, and probably married off to a handsome prince—ok, that part made her a bit ill—with maids to do all her housework for her and a chef to cook her meals and…she wouldn't have had Henry. Even though he often resembled an annoying brat, she wouldn't have changed one thing about her life because every experience she'd had, every choice she had made, had led to the little boy who had stolen her heart, even if she did share him with Regina. Honestly, sharing custody with Regina wasn't so bad. It was certainly better sharing Henry with her than with his biological father/sperm donor any day of the week. Regina definitely looked better in a skirt; that was for sure.


	5. Chapter 5

A gentle hand prodding Emma's shoulder jolted her awake. She should have known that being kissed and touched intimately by a flawless, quick-witted woman wearing naught but an apron would be a dream. She shut her eyes, trying to recapture the sensual vision before the cruelty of the real world set in. When she was once again overwhelmed by brown eyes and ruby red lips, she murmured happily, "Regina."

"Emma, it's me, your mother. What has she done to you?" Mary Margaret took in the sight before her and assumed the worst. Had Regina tried to poison her daughter while she was already weak from the fight with Cora? Would she hurt Emma with Henry there? Emma somehow seemed thinner and frailer than she had in the hospital.

"Made her eat an enchanted apple and left her for dead, but not before having my evil way with her," Regina bristled at the unwarranted accusations leveled by the brainless woman. With Mary Margaret as a mother, it was truly a miracle that Emma had any brain cells at all.

With a slight blush tinting her cheeks, Emma couldn't suppress a giggle, "Ok, I'm sorry, that was funny. Mary Margaret, what are you doing here? Is school out already? Is Henry home?"

"I decided to come during my lunch hour as soon as Henry told me you'd been released from the hospital. Emma, why didn't you tell me yourself? You would've been welcome to stay with me and your father," Mary Margaret admonished. The thought that her daughter had chosen to spend one minute in the presence of her nemesis instead of home with her family was disheartening.

"Um, because of this. Mary Margaret, I'm not five years old anymore. I'm an adult who is fully capable of making my own decisions," Emma said, ignoring the unladylike snort coming from the brunette standing in the doorway watching the loving reunion. "Besides, you and David had only just found each other, and I would've been a third wheel."

Regina interrupted, "There you go. As you can see, Emma is not here against her will. Now, visiting hours are over. She needs her rest, and Dr. Whale's instructions explicitly state no stressful situations until she is fully recovered."

Emma tried to soften the blow, "It's ok, really; she's not going to kill me with Henry right here. Mary Margaret, how about you and David stop by later for dinner or something? You did say this was your lunch break; I'm sure you have to get back anyhow."

"And just who is going to cook this dinner you're proposing?" Regina inquired sharply. "Ms. Swan, surely you have enough manners to ask your host before inviting guests."

"Regina…" Emma flashed her best puppy dog eyes, while doing her best to look pitiful lying in bed.

"Alright, fine. They can come over *if* they follow the rules regarding your recovery," Regina caved. "At least now I know where Henry gets it from. Ms. Blanchard, we will expect you at 6 pm sharp."

Ignoring the steely glare coming from Regina's eyes, Mary Margaret addressed Emma directly, "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Absolutely. Now, go, get back to work and stop worrying about me," Emma reiterated. "Really, I have the most feared woman in all of Storybrooke watching out for me; no one would dare cross her."

Mary Margaret nodded, "Alright, we'll discuss this more at dinner when we have a bit more time. Remember, we love you."

"I remember," Emma forced a smile. She wondered if she would ever learn to deal with doting parents after being on her own for so long.

Mary Margaret pointedly ignored Regina as she left the room, and Regina snubbed her as well, choosing to stay standing where she was in the doorway instead of walking the schoolteacher to the door. When the awkward moment of icy stares was finally over and Regina and Emma were once again alone in the room, Regina finally spoke, "I explicitly told her she was not to wake you up."

"Yeah, well…" Emma sighed, "Following orders doesn't exactly run in the family."

"I suppose since you're up, you're probably hungry," Regina offered, suddenly feeling tense and wanting to do something with her hands.

"Regina, come sit with me," Emma asked, not wanting to be left alone just yet. The memory of her dream encouraged her to speak her mind. Dreams like that didn't come out of nowhere.

Regina was perplexed, "What?"

"Come sit with me, please," Emma patted the open spot on the bed next to her in invitation.

Not entirely sure why she assented to Emma's request, Regina sat down on the bed being careful not to hurt the recovering woman in the process. She asked quietly, "Did you mean what you said?"

"What?" Emma started searching her brain for what she could possibly have said that had struck a chord in the raven beauty sitting next to her. Who was she kidding? Her brain couldn't function next to such perfection.

Regina continued, "That I'm the most feared woman in Storybrooke."

"It was a compliment," Emma clarified. She caught herself before she said how attracted she was to strong, assertive women, realizing that making a statement like that right now would probably get her slapped.

Regina stated bluntly, "You're not afraid of me."

"No, I'm not," Emma agreed.

Regina asked the one question that had been bugging her since Emma had first strolled into town, "Why?"

"Well, as you are fond of telling me, I'm not that bright," Emma joked, hoping her tone would lighten the mood.

"True…" Regina deadpanned.

"You didn't have to agree with me," Emma rolled her eyes, smirking.

"Oh, but I did," Regina smiled back.

"Regina, I'm not afraid of you because I know you. In here," Emma motioned to her heart. "I can't explain it, but I do."

Regina just stared at her in silence, a tear threatening to escape from her treacherous eyes.

Emma continued, "Besides, who else going to save you from angry mobs, dragons, wraiths, fires and all the other trouble you get yourself into? You need me."

Regina found the blonde's presumption insufferable. Just because Emma happened to be in the right place at the right time every so often, she thought she was all that. She was Regina Mills for crying out loud, the woman who had cursed an entire land for 28 years. She could defend herself. She said in her best haughty tone, "In case you didn't notice, I managed to survive just fine on my own for quite a while before you came along. I am not weak."

"Needing people isn't weakness, Regina. It's called being human," Emma knew where the anger was coming from and chose to ignore it. They had had the 'love is weakness' discussion once already, but as Emma well knew, it would take multiple times before her words would be absorbed.

"Yes, well, I should really go get us some lunch," Regina said with a clear undertone that she was done with the heart to hearts at the moment.

"Just please stay with me until I fall asleep? We don't have to talk," Emma begged.

Regina relented quicker than she cared to admit. Perhaps it was the similarity to her son's eyes or that she'd simply gone soft or…maybe Emma was right. Maybe Regina had developed a certain affection for the one woman in the world who inexplicably cared if she lived or died. Whatever the reason, Regina sat, gently rubbing circles on the palm of the other woman's hand until her breathing indicated that she had fallen asleep. Reacting on impulse, she moved some wayward curls off of Emma's face and kissed her softly on the forehead before leaving the room. She had a lot of preparations to complete to make the upcoming family dinner as stress-free as possible for her princess.


	6. Chapter 6

Later that evening, Cora walked through the streets of Storybrooke looking for her daughter. She came upon what must be the white mansion that Rumplestiltskin had so clearly described and saw Snow White and Prince Charming knocking at the door. Why was Snow White at her daughter's house? Didn't they hate each other? She clearly couldn't use her original plan. She needed some good intel to get her daughter back, especially if Regina had forgiven Snow White. Changing into a raven, Cora flew until she found an open window and perched herself there. It wasn't long before Regina appeared, pulling what looked like dinner out of some magical contraption she didn't recognize. Regina was speaking to someone, but Cora couldn't identify who. The voice sounded awfully familiar. Wait, was that the infernal Savior with the terrible taste in clothes? The one she had fought in the Enchanted Forest?

* * *

Taking a deep breath and wiping her hands on her apron, Regina opened the door with a fake smile plastered on her face. The last thing she wanted to do was have the two idiots in her house eating her food and to endure their pathetic attempts at making conversation. Still, if it would keep them out of her hair while Emma was recovering and that blasted pout off of Emma's adorable lips—that was it; she was definitely going soft. Using the most sugary tone of voice she could muster, Regina bit the bullet and said, "Come in, how nice of you to join us for dinner."

Getting right to the point, Mary Margaret asked, "Where's Emma? We brought dessert." She pushed past Regina into the hallway, turning until she found her daughter sitting next to the dining room table in a lounge chair, covered in blankets with a pillow propping her head, looking happy to see her. She glanced behind herself quickly to make sure David had made his way inside as well before placing her dish on the table and giving Emma a hug.

Emma awkwardly accepted the hug and grabbed for the package in Mary Margaret's hand. She recognized the delicious aroma immediately. Too excited to wait, Emma opened the bag and held up a pastry for Regina to see, "Look! Regina, bear claws!" She turned back to Mary Margaret, "Thank you! How did you know? I haven't had one of these in ages!"

Regina frowned at Mary Margaret's smug smile, but addressed Emma, who already had a bear claw stuffed in her mouth, "I swear, you're worse than Henry. Dinner comes before dessert, not the other way around."

"But Regina, it's been ages. You don't know what it's like being stuck in the Enchanted Forest without any hot chocolate or bear claws or cheeseburgers or anything resembling real food. It really sucked," Emma pouted, sneaking in a final bite of the pastry. When she saw the look on Regina's face, she immediately covered her mistake, "Oops. I guess you do know."

They hadn't really talked about whether Emma had enjoyed her trip to the Enchanted Forest, just about some of the things that had happened to her while she was there. Regina had mistakenly assumed that Emma, being 'good' and a princess and therefore being worshipped in that world, would have loved being there. Was it possible Emma didn't hate her for casting the curse? Slightly mollified by her thoughts, Regina relented, "One. You may have one more before dinner."

Emma grinned and gave her a wink, "Yes, dear. And don't worry, I'll still have plenty of room for your cobbler. I'm like a trash compactor."

"Just go ahead and eat it before I change my mind," Regina responded. Did Emma just call her…no, she was imagining things. She schooled her features back to her poker face before yelling up the stairs, "Henry, get washed up for dinner."

Pounding of small feet and the sound of running water indicated that her message had been conveyed. She shook her head; it had been near impossible to calm her son enough that he could focus on his homework once he had found out his grandparents were joining them for dinner. She'd had to bribe him with an extra half hour of time with Emma past his bedtime. Somehow, now that Emma was under the same roof, it didn't bother her as much that Henry wanted to spend time with his birthmother. She wondered why that was.

"Regina, would you like some help in the kitchen?" Mary Margaret's voice startled Regina out of her reverie.

"Huh? Oh, no, that's quite alright. I might be tempted to add some crushed apples to the lasagna," Regina said sweetly, trying to douse her anger over the irritating woman's feigned attempt at manners. She wasn't going to let Mary Margaret push her buttons with Henry in the house. She just wasn't. "Sheriff, would you please tell Henry to set the table?"

Without waiting for a response, Regina sashayed into the kitchen to take the lasagna and homemade garlic bread out of the oven, where they were being kept warm until their guests arrived. She took a deep breath and tried to drown out their incessant chatter. Just as she'd known it would, as soon as she left Emma with her parents for a few seconds, they'd already started trying to convince the savior to steal her son. What she hadn't expected…what made her smile…was how vociferously Emma turned them down.

* * *

"I said no."

David tried unsuccessfully to interrupt the impending argument, "Emma…"

"David…dad…don't you even try to defend what she just said. Look at me, mom. Regina could have left us both to die outside that rabbit hole, and you know what, I honestly wouldn't have blamed her, but she didn't. She called the ambulance. She let Henry visit us in the hospital. Hell, she even invited me into her home so that Henry wouldn't be forced to choose between us. Does that sound evil to you?"

Mary Margaret growled back, "That's because she knew Henry would choose you! Can't you see how she's corrupting you?"

"Henry is eleven years old. He might say he chooses me, but when he gets sick, he's going to want the mother who took care of him his entire life."

"Who tried to make him think he was crazy. Who is the reason you grew up without parents."

"Regina didn't put me in that wardrobe. You did."

"To save you from her!"

"You know, before, I couldn't understand why she was so desperate to leave the Enchanted Forest that she cursed everyone to small town Maine. No one gave her a chance to change. Once evil, always evil."

"She had plenty of chances. Emma, you don't know her like we do," David tried again to interrupt the argument between his soon-to-be (and former) wife and his daughter.

"Maybe I don't. But I am not suing for sole custody and that is final."


	7. Chapter 7

Mary Margaret started, "Emma…"

Emma took a deep breath before responding, "I gave Henry up so that he could have his best chance, and he has that with Regina. She is his mother, and the only reason I can see him at all is because she lets me. She puts Henry first, even helping me break her own curse just to save him, and that's more than I can say for any of my foster families."

"If she hadn't cursed everyone, you wouldn't have given Henry up in the first place," Mary Margaret fought back.

Henry cautiously entered the room and stood beside Emma. He didn't like it when adults fought, especially the ones who were supposed to be his heroes.

Oblivious to Henry's presence, Emma shot back, "We could play 'what ifs' all day, but I live in the real world. Fact is, I signed a closed adoption, and if I had to do it all over again, I would."

At that moment, Emma heard the cry next to her followed by small feet running up the stairs and realized that Henry had overheard their argument. She paled at how he must have interpreted her words. She truly was an idiot, and she couldn't even make things right because she needed Regina's help to go up the stairs. Cursing her lack of mobility, she called into the kitchen, "Regina!"

Regina was halfway up the stairs before Emma could give her any explanation, muttering about imbecilic blondes and their moronic parents and how they had better hope dinner wasn't cold by the time they got to eat. She knocked on her son's door, and when there was no response other than muffled tears, she entered anyway. She found Henry sprawled face down on the bed listening to music via his ipod and headphones.

Sitting next to him on the bed, she began to gently rub his back like she used to when he was little. She was half expecting him to flinch in protest, but he didn't. After a few moments, she popped the headphone out of his right ear and said his name softly, "Henry."

Henry started, "She said…"

"I know," Regina answered, cursing the blonde's lack of tact, even if it was a roundabout attempt at giving her a compliment.

"Doesn't she love me?" Henry asked in a small voice, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"Of course she does. She stayed in Storybrooke for you. Heck, she's even staying in the same house as the Evil Queen just to be near you," Regina joked, trying to lighten the mood a little. What was wrong with her? She should be reveling in the Savior's mistake, not actively defending her to their son, and yet, here she was, doing exactly that.

Henry pouted, "Then why would she…"

"Sometimes what people say and what they mean aren't the same thing. Especially when they are angry," Regina reminded her son.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"You're biased," Henry continued to sulk.

Regina grinned, "Of course I am. I can't imagine anyone in the world not loving my smart, handsome, wonderful son."

"Mom!" Henry complained out loud, but was secretly happy to hear his mother's words. Maybe his mom was right, and Emma didn't really mean what she'd said. He'd said lots of things to his mom that he regretted, and that wasn't even including all the 'I found my real mom' comments he had thrown at her, and she loved him anyway.

"Are you ready to come downstairs and join us for dinner? I really want you there, but I won't push," Regina asked, ruffling his hair.

Henry contemplated his response briefly, "I guess. Someone needs to be there to keep you from killing my grandparents."

"There's my son. Always convinced he can do the impossible," Regina laughed, pulling him close. She took his hand and led him to the top of the stairs, "Ready?"

Nodding, Henry held his head up and walked down the stairs slightly ahead of his mother, bracing himself for more arguing. He needn't have worried, as the room was completely silent upon his return. In that moment, he knew his mom was right-the concern in Emma's eyes wouldn't be there if she didn't love him. He didn't know what to say so he just bounded up to her and wrapped her up in a bear hug.

Emma put her arms around him protectively, "I'm sorry, Henry."

Mary Margaret joined them with tears in their eyes, "I'm sorry too, Henry."

"While this is all very touching, Snow, you were invited to dinner on condition that you did not add to Emma's stress. Consider this your one and only warning," Regina said tight-lipped.

"My interactions with my daughter are none of your business," Mary Margaret countered.

Emma looked up at each of them in turn and let her eyes settle on Regina's, "Please, let's not fight."

Regina gave her an imperceptible nod, "Henry, would you please set the table? The lasagna is going to get cold."

The rest of the meal went without incident as everyone did their best to keep the conversation light for Emma and Henry's sake. Regina blushed at Emma's compliments of her lasagna and her cobbler, and Mary Margaret smiled at the interest Emma took in hearing about the day-to-day events at school. When Regina walked the Charmings out so she could get Emma ready for bed, none of them noticed the raven perched at the window.

* * *

Flying behind a bush to turn back into her regular form, Cora took in the interactions she had witnessed with some confusion. Her daughter had always had a soft spot for children, but the way Regina spoke to the Savior and defended her went beyond mere politeness.

Regina couldn't possibly have feelings for Snow's daughter-Cora's eyes widened as she realized what the Savior's words in the Enchanted Forest had meant. 'We kind of share Henry; it's complicated.' Surely she had taught Regina better than this? She needed a little time to process how she was best going to use her daughter's weakness to her advantage before someone like the Dark One beat her to it, someone without her daughter's best interests at heart.


	8. Chapter 8

After putting Henry to bed, Regina helped Emma back to the guest room. She was exhausted from the emotional strain of dealing with the two idiots and wanted nothing more than to curl up in her bed and pretend the outside world didn't exist. She wasn't sure how she was feeling toward Emma at the moment-whether to strangle her for making Henry cry or hug her for standing up for her to Mary Margaret and David-so she chose silence. She wanted to throw her walls back up, but as usual, Emma continued to nick away at them.

The awkward silence was getting to Emma. A pit formed in her stomach, growing larger as she saw Regina turn to leave without so much as a goodbye. She needed to make things right between them. Emma called out to her, "Regina…thank you."

"For what?" Regina couldn't believe her ears.

"For putting up with my idiotic parents, for talking to Henry, for everything," Emma said seriously. "Look, words aren't really my strength, and I would totally understand if you want me to go back to Mary Margaret's…"

Regina felt stricken at the idea, and she knew she shouldn't. Emma was only there temporarily, and once Emma was better and Henry was safe from Cora, Emma would be leaving to go back to Mary Margaret's or her own place, but she certainly wasn't going to be staying with the Evil Queen….right? Why did this bother her so much? Emma had only been there a few days, and Regina was having trouble imagining her life with Henry without his other mother. She voiced her feelings with a single word, "No."

"So you aren't mad?" Emma used her best puppy dog eyes.

"I didn't say that," Regina answered honestly. "Would you stop making that face? It doesn't work for Henry, and it's not going to work for you."

Emma grinned, "So it is working."

Regina playfully shot daggers back at her, "It's complicated. Something I'm sure someone with your pea brain wouldn't understand."

"Now there's the Regina that I..." Emma paused, blushing, as she realized what she had almost blurted out. She took a deep breath and continued, "Talk to me."

"About what? How your parents drive me completely insane? I thought you knew that already," Regina joked, sitting down on the bed.

Emma reached out and grasped onto Regina's hand, "I do. They'll come around you know. It'll take a while, but they'll see what a great mother you are."

"Why must you Charmings be so insufferably optimistic?" Regina asked rhetorically, desperately trying to keep the giddiness in her stomach from becoming too obvious.

Emma countered, "Why are you putting us all in the same category?"

"Point taken. You can't help who your parents are," Regina sassed back. She always did love teasing Emma.

"Neither can you," Emma said softly. "Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you hadn't cast the curse?"

Regina pondered, "If you had grown up with your parents, you mean? You would have been a prim and proper princess with genteel manners waiting for some prince to carry you off into the sunset."

"That sounds terrifying," Emma commented. She felt a bit comforted hearing Regina say the same things she had thought about when she had thought about what her life would have been like in the Enchanted Forest. "Do you think we would have been enemies?"

Regina didn't hesitate, "Most definitely. In the Enchanted Forest, everything was black and white. You would have been 'good,' and I was 'evil.' We wouldn't have had any reason to tolerate each other because even if Henry existed, we wouldn't have shared him."

"And you would've been like thirty years older than me," Emma added.

Regina laughed, "I still am like thirty years older than you."

"Well you don't look it," Emma noted appreciatively, taking the moment to rake her eyes over Regina's beautiful curves. "I kind of like that we aren't fighting anymore."

"Who said we aren't fighting? Emma Swan, you will not make my son feel unwanted ever again. Is that clear?" Regina said firmly.

Emma offered timidly, "Our son?"

"Our son," Regina agreed, smiling.

"I didn't give Henry up because I didn't want him. I thought he knew that," Emma sighed.

Regina squeezed Emma's hand, "He does know that. But he's also a little boy, and little boys need reassurance."

"You're so good at this mom thing," Emma gazed at her admiringly. "He deserves so much better than me."

Looking back at her, Regina confided, "When Henry was a baby, I had this moment of weakness where I felt the same way, that he deserved better than me. I hadn't exactly had the best role models when it came to parenting, and no matter what I did, I couldn't get him to stop crying. But I figured out that there is no such thing as a perfect mother. What Henry deserved most was a mother who would be there for him and put him first, no matter what."

"Unlike me, you mean," Emma said sadly.

"Emma, you're missing the point. The point is you have the opportunity to be there for him now, to think about his needs before you go gallivanting through portals and hunting ogres. We can't change the past, but we can make a better future," Regina finished her speech with a flourish. She wanted that future more than she ever thought she could, and she knew without a doubt she wanted that future to include Emma.

Feeling the need to stick up for herself, Emma spoke up, "You keep mentioning that I was gallivanting through portals and putting myself in mortal danger like I had a choice! I was pulled down through that portal by a wraith while I was busy saving our son's mother."

"I know. I just...don't want Henry to lose you," Regina said, hoping that Emma would hear what she really meant, that she didn't want to lose her.

"I don't want Henry to lose you either," Emma said. She didn't know what she would do if she ever lost Regina. From the moment they had met, there was just something about the woman that had kept her coming back for more. It didn't matter if it was more arguments or more fights; she found Regina's presence to be intoxicating. Perhaps it was the medicine that made her a little braver than usual, but she took a deep breath and asked, "Regina, would you come closer?"

Complying with Emma's request, Regina asked, "Why?"

"Because I'd like to kiss you," Emma admitted.

Regina's breath hitched, "I...I think I'd like that."


	9. Chapter 9

They both leaned in left, crashing noses and laughing, before settling into their first kiss. It was awkward, yet tender because both of them were afraid taking it to the next level would send the other screaming for the hills. The newness of the experience was exhilarating and overwhelming, and they never wanted it to end. They had lost themselves in each other so deeply that they didn't hear the pitter patter of young feet entering the room.

"Mom? Emma?" Henry called out to them, not entirely sure what he was witnessing. He knew adults didn't make any sense, but there was no way his mom was kissing Emma-they hated each other. He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't still dreaming.

Pulling away quickly, Regina recovered first, "Henry, you were supposed to be sleeping."

"I was. I had a nightmare, and you weren't in your room," Henry explained as he rubbed his eyes. He was torn because he felt that he was too old to need his mother like this, but he desperately wanted to be comforted and be told everything would be alright.

"Oh honey, I was just saying goodnight to Emma," Regina patted the bed, "How about you come over here and join us for a little while."

Climbing on the bed without hesitation, Henry fell into Regina's arms and gave her a fierce hug. He needed to feel her arms around him, keeping him safe. For a few moments, he was able to just enjoy hugging his mom as his mom, just like when he was little without all the trappings of the fairytale world getting in the way.

Emma tried not to feel hurt that she was being excluded; after all, the kid had spent a decade with Regina chasing away his nightmares before she came along. Besides, it was a good thing for him to bond with Regina again, especially if the three of them were to become a family. A family? Talk about getting ahead of herself. She'd only just kissed Regina, and she was already thinking of u-hauling permanently. When did she become such a stereotype? Focusing herself back to more immediate concerns, Emma asked him, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It was awful. Mom had gone back to magic, and nothing I said made any difference, and then the two of you got into a fight, and you hurt mom, and I wasn't sure if she was going to wake up," Henry shivered. He was terrified of his mom becoming a villain again because villains didn't get happy endings, and he desperately wanted them all to have a happy ending.

Regina hugged him closer, "Oh honey, you know I wouldn't hurt you like that. Even if I use magic again, you and Emma will be right there making sure it isn't dark magic."

"And this town would have to find a new Savior before I ever hurt your mom, Henry. I can't promise we won't fight, but I would never hurt her," Emma reassured him as best she could.

"Sometimes people don't mean to hurt people, and they get hurt anyway," Henry said, still smarting from the conversation he had overheard before dinner. He knew Emma meant well, but what if this was a dream of the future? What if there was nothing he could do to change it? Is this what Rumplestiltskin felt like?

Emma bit back her defensive comment, knowing that she probably deserved Henry's frustration. She took a deep breath and asked herself what Regina would do before deciding on how best to respond to their son. When she finally spoke, her voice was calm and soothing, "Look, kid, I know I'm not very good at the whole mom thing. A lot of that is based on how I grew up, but it's also that it just doesn't come naturally to me like it does to your mom. I'm going to make mistakes, but I'm trying, ok? For both you and your mom."

Henry looked in Emma's eyes and saw the honesty in them, "Emma…"

"Sometimes I push away the people I care about the most because it hurts less when they discover they don't need me," Emma admitted, hoping that she had made the right decision to be honest with him. She knew she had when she felt young arms around her belly and wet tears against her shirt. Her own eyes misted over, silently asking Regina to join their hug, and for a few moments, all three were holding each other just like a real family should.

* * *

"Mom, I'm going to be late for school! Can you drive me?" Henry asked the following morning, having overslept after a difficult night's sleep. He worked hard to make his voice sound extra forlorn so that she would answer in the affirmative. Even though both of his mothers had worked hard to assuage his fears the night before, he still had an overarching feeling of dread that he just couldn't shake, and he just didn't want to be alone.

Regina looked at her watch, "I suppose so. Let me just leave a note for Emma in case she wakes up."

Jotting a quick note down and leaving it next to Emma's sleeping form, Regina grabbed her keys and hustled Henry out the door. On a normal day, she would have just insisted that Henry take the consequences from being up late or not getting enough sleep, but she was still euphoric after her first kiss with Emma, and she was also sympathetic to his nightmares, having suffered from them herself for decades, so she gave Henry a little more leeway than usual.

Her mind was all over the place during the short drive. She thought about everything from what errands she needed to run to what she was going to cook for dinner for the three of them. She tried to remember if Emma had a doctor's appointment or not and reminded herself to check the calendar when she got home. As she pulled up into the designated parent drop-off area, she noted the large number of students who had been milling about were now scampering to enter the building.

The Benz had barely stopped when Henry unbuckled his seat belt and raced out the car door, remembering to hug his mother goodbye before running into the school with his backpack slung over his shoulder. Regina watched him go with a smile on her face. When she moved to turn on the ignition, she saw what appeared to be smoke out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head, and the smoke had vanished. Seeing no fire, there were only two possible conclusions; the first was that she was imagining things, and the second was that someone was performing magic in the area. Rumplestiltskin should have already opened the pawn shop, and Blue was supposed to be at the convent preparing for the bake sale, so it was probably just her imagination. After all, there weren't any other magic users in Storybrooke, right?


	10. Chapter 10

When Henry received the early dismissal form in his classroom that morning, he thought it seemed a little odd. His mom hadn't mentioned any doctor's appointments…although she had been a bit distracted recently. Perhaps, Emma had a checkup, and they were going to go as a family. Whatever the reason, he dutifully handed the teacher his pass at the designated time and walked to the front office. When he saw his mom, he shook his head with confusion. He was absolutely positive his mom had been wearing a different outfit when she had dropped him at school that morning.

"Henry," Regina—or rather Cora—smiled. She had a limited time before the glamour wore off, but she and the young prince would be long gone by then. "Do you have your things?"

"Yes. Mom, where are we going?" Henry asked as his 'mom' grabbed his arm and started to rush him toward the door. Something was definitely wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on exactly what. "Where's your car?"

A still-glamoured Cora tensed up. Of course, Regina would raise an inquisitive child. She answered firmly, "Getting fixed, now stop dawdling."

Henry trotted along for a little while, wondering what had gotten into his 'mother' that she was so distracted and practically manhandling him, "Did you and Emma have a fight?"

"What makes you say that dear?"

"Well, you've practically been on Cloud 9 lately," Henry answered. "Ever since Emma came to stay with us."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," She scoffed. "Why should a peasant who dresses like a man have any relevance to my happiness?"

"Ugh. So you are fighting," Henry sighed. "I thought…can't you get along for my sake?"

"Children should be seen and not heard," She said sternly, growing weary of his questions.

Now, Henry was sure something was off. His mother would never talk to him like that, and she couldn't have had such a turnaround about Emma so quickly. He decided to take out his cell phone, "I'm going to call Emma."

"No, you most certainly are not," She knocked the cell phone out of his hand. The glare that followed would have cowed thousands of peasants. After a few moments, Cora remembered her façade and tried to placate her grandson, "It's only a little farther."

"I'm tired, and I want to talk to Emma," Henry declared, using his full weight to force them to come to a stop as they turned onto the next street.

"Have it your way then," Allowing her guise to drop for a moment, Cora kneeled to his level and waved her hand, enacting a simple sleeping spell. When Henry fell into her waiting arms, she dragged him behind a dumpster and conjured a potato sack to carry him in. She changed her glamour this time to a nondescript, poor, elderly woman, and traipsed back to the pirate ship with her prize in tow. Regina would be hers by nightfall.

* * *

Having discovered that Emma's followup appointment wasn't until the following day, Regina had spent most of the day cleaning, getting groceries for a special dinner she had planned, and of course, laughing and giggling with Emma. She'd moved a TV/VCR into Emma's room, and Emma had insisted that she sit down and watch a movie with her. Regina had put the movie into the VCR, but to be honest, she couldn't even remember which movie it was or what was going on because she was so fascinated by the woman sitting next to her. Emma made these adorable facial expressions and randomly yelled at the screen, and every time she did, she would look up at Regina with those adorable puppy eyes, and Regina would have to kiss the pout off her face. Then, Emma would get a little handsy, and Regina would have to extricate herself and tell Emma to watch the movie, and then the process would repeat itself.

Regina was having so much fun that it was 5 pm before she glanced at her watch and started to freak out. She hadn't even started dinner, and Henry was sure to be starving when he got home, "Oh god, I have to get dinner started."

"Dinner? That sounds good. What are you making?" Emma perked up and asked.

Regina smirked, "It's a surprise. Your only clue is that it's one of Henry's favorites."

"Speaking of the kid, shouldn't he have been home like an hour ago?" Emma realized.

"He probably went to your mother's to give us some time alone," Regina answered logically.

Emma joked, "Hmm, what a considerate child. Are you sure he's ours?"

"Ha, ha. I'm going to…no, wait, you are going to call our son and tell him to be home by six. No excuses," Regina took Emma's phone off the nightstand and handed it to her before heading to the kitchen.

Emma smiled and dialed their son's number, frowning a little when it went to voicemail. Her mom probably had him preoccupied. Her next call was to Snow, who picked up right away.

"Emma, I'm so glad you called," Snow said enthusiastically.

Emma replied, "Yeah, I'm calling about Henry."

"Oh? Is he alright? I was wondering when Regina got him out of school early, and I haven't seen him since," Snow asked in a tone that denoted a mild concern.

"Regina got him out of school early? Are you sure?" Emma asked incredulously.

Snow answered, "Yes. He got the early dismissal form during my class. Didn't she tell you?"

"Snow, I have to ask you something. Were any of Henry's friends absent today?" Emma continued her questioning, growing slightly uneasy.

"No, why? You don't think he would have skipped school?" Snow said doubtfully. "Besides, the principal knows his mothers, and there is no way he would get an early dismissal pass without one or the both of you signing for it."

"You're right. Thanks, Snow. I'm sure Regina just forgot to tell me," Emma said, trying to mask the worry in her voice. "I thought Henry might have gone to see you after school, but I guess not. If you see him, call me ok?"

Snow answered, "Of course. I love you."

"I love you too," Emma muttered before hanging up the phone. She was starting to get a really bad feeling in her gut. She shouted, "Regina!"

Regina walked in after a few minutes, drying her hands on her skirt, "Emma, what is it?"

"Did you pick Henry up from school early?" Emma asked, failing at keeping her voice from shaking.

"You know I didn't. What are you talking about?"

"Henry wasn't answering his phone, so I called Mary Margaret," Emma explained quickly. "She said he had an early dismissal from school."

"That's impossible. The school wouldn't let him leave without…" Regina froze. "We need to try his friends."

"Regina, you know as well as I do that he doesn't have friends," Emma said quietly. "But maybe one of his classmates saw something."

Just then, Emma's phone began to ring, and her heart leapt when she saw Henry's number, "Hello? Henry, where are you?"

"Hello, who is this?" A young girl's voice came through the phone.

Taking a deep breath, Emma responded, "This is Sheriff Swan. Who am I speaking to?"

"My name is Paige. I just found this phone lying on the street earlier, and I didn't know who it belonged to," The girl answered. "I thought whoever was calling was looking for it, so I called back."

"Well, that was very nice of you, Paige. My son Henry must have dropped it. Can you tell me exactly where you found it?" Emma forced herself to sound calm and cheerful. As worried as she was, she knew she wasn't going to get anywhere if she scared the only lead they had.

"Sure. About 5 blocks from the school, heading toward the docks," Paige answered dutifully. "Henry's in my class. Should I just bring it to school tomorrow?"

"That's a wonderful idea. If I have time later, I'll stop by and get it; otherwise, he'll just have to wait until tomorrow. Thank you so much," Emma said gratefully. As flimsy a lead as it was, it still gave her a place to start.

"No problem," Paige answered.

Emma continued to stare at the phone after the line went dead, trying to process the possibilities. Henry wouldn't leave school with a perfect stranger. He also wouldn't go anywhere without his phone. He wouldn't have gone on another bus ride to Boston; he had no reason to leave. He was a very happy kid now that his two moms were getting along, and he hadn't skipped school in ages. As much as she didn't want to admit it, the most likely answer was that he was either injured or kidnapped. She knew she needed to have her mind sharp and detached if they were going to get Henry back, but she just couldn't focus. She couldn't shake the feeling that it was all her fault and that she could have prevented it somehow.

"Emma, talk to me," Regina begged. Her own anxiety was being compounded by Emma's silence. She was worried about Henry, and she was worried about Emma.

"Ok. Our son is missing. We have one, very tiny lead, and I can't go traipsing around town to find him," Emma started to cry. She hated feeling so helpless.

"That's what Charming's for. Let him earn his Deputy paycheck, and you can be the brains from here, ok?" Regina soothed, running her hands through Emma's hair. Her need to take care of Emma helped to distract her from wild thoughts of what could be happening to Henry.

"He knew something bad was going to happen, and we told him it was just a silly nightmare," Emma buried her head in Regina's chest. What would they do if…no, she couldn't think like that. She let the warmth wash over her. Slowly, but surely, the tears stopped falling, and she quietly uttered the words, "I'm sorry."


End file.
